Battle of Chosin Reservoir

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir (27 November-13 December 1950) was a decisive battle of the Korean War that occurred when a large Chinese army attacked a smaller United Nations force near the Chosin Reservoir in northern North Korea in one of the first battles of the war involving China. On 27 November 1950, the 150,000-strong Chinese 9th Army surprised Edward Almond's US X Corps at the Chosin Reservoir, beginning a 17-day-battle fought in the freezing cold. 30,000 UN troops, nicknamed "the Chosin Few" as a pun, faced encirclement by 120,000 Chinese troops, and the US forces managed to break out of encirclement and inflict crippling losses on the Chinese while withdrawing. X Corps evacuated via Hungnam, marking the complete UN evacuation from North Korea, and the UN forces retreated back towards South Korea. 40% of Chinese combat forces in Korea were disabled until March 1951 due to the heavy losses suffered at Chosin.